Acer lights a Chromebook fire with Intel Core i3 flavor

First!

Chromebooks aren't typically noted for their impressive specs, but Acer has taken a step in the right direction with the announcement of the first Chromebook with Intel's Core i3 chip at its heart.

It's not a brand new Acer Chromebook, but rather an upgraded version of the Acer C720 that was released in 2013.

According to a press release, the superior Intel chip provides the new C720 variant with improved performance and multi-tasking, while battery life remains the same at an expected 8.5 hours.

The same announcement calls the laptop "a new class of Chromebook."

Besides the improved processor, the new C720 is identical to the old one

Classy

The upgraded Acer C720 itself comes in two variants: the C720-3404, with 4GB of memory, and the C720-3871, with just 2GB. Both launch in North America in July with a 32GB solid state drive for storage.

The former costs $379.99 (about £222, AU$404) while the version with less memory is $349.99 (about £204, AU$372). For those doing the math that's just a few bucks cheaper for half the memory - an easy choice.

In TechRadar's review of the original Acer C720 Chromebook we said the budget laptop could make for a great backup, but might prove frustrating as your main PC thanks to its mediocre screen, keyboard and speakers, not to mention the limitations inherent to Chrome OS.

Considering this new Intel Core i3-equipped model is at least $150 more expensive, it's worth taking all its strengths and flaws into account.